WEEKLY CHAT (NON-OSPREY) SUNDAY JANUARY 3, 2021

Mirror in the hallway. 

Love it Lindy! Your house looks like a fun place.

I didn't put up any decs this year as OH was so unwell. I only put a wreath on the front door
OH put our cards up on the bookshelves later. Nothing to pack up in boxes again this year, but I usually like a few lights around, and a small tree.

Lindybird said:

In our bedroom, lives a singing cactus!! He sings "Feliz Navidad" because of course he is Mexican so he sings in Spanish. He also jigs around and has a switch so that you can turn him off, otherwise he would drive you crazy as he's sound activated!! Sometimes I switch him on without telling my OH......

Edit: We've had him for untold years, I don't even remember where I got him from, now. Every year I think he wont work any more, but he does!

He's brilliant!  As a bonus, he'd also drive Limpy up the wall if I had him here.

Lindybird: My favorite Xmas decoration is the green dude with the sombrero.  I also like the one with pink and gray thistles(?). I have a small cranky looking bear with an Xmas hat and scarf that always makes me smile. 

PatO: I am 400 pages into the Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) book - only 500 more to go!  (And it's very good I do have to say - Rowling not only is really good at plot but also great at dialog.)

Do hope Diane is okay.  Looks ugly on the weather front around the Great Lakes.

OG: Must say your Santa sounds like a hoot (or perhaps that's not the right word). 

Started pruning the Iceberg roses today; took one out that had cane borer problems and am planning to move another one so the Breath of Heaven behind it can stretch out.  "Elizabeth is Missing" with Glenda Jackson starts on our PBS stations tonight so am planning to tune in while futzing with Starry Night - a  very difficult jigsaw with lots and lots and lots of blue!

Have a good Monday everyone.

Escaping this morn about 9, I drove to Port Adelaide and wandered the streets photo-ing old buildings & memorials for an hour until my feet began to complain. Home soon after 11, by then the car was uncomfortably warm. Nanny nap after lunch.

Since our virus numbers per population are low compared to UpOver, I shall risk commenting on children at school. There does not seem to have been major outbreaks in our schools, just kids catching virus from family members. Our state only has had a few days of home-schooling, though Victoria had a few months. Year 12 students had their final assessments adjusted to allow for disruptions. NSW has imposed stricter rules this week; masks to be worn in shops, etc. Masks are not worn by under-12s.

Just a thought

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. (Buddha)

Annette - I found 'Elizabeth is Missing' both sad and inspiring. Beautiful acting. Hope you enjoyed it.

Lindy - I can now understand why it took you so long to decorate your home! Mine took about ten minutes ...

Well, we are now truly into 2021, with the first working day of the new year. More indecision about schools, and about the time between the two vaccine jabs - and now Boris is heavily hinting at even tighter restrictions. What more can he do, I wonder? Apart from closing the schools?

Have a good day, everyone.

Good Morning. Dry here and still only 1degree. We have 3 or 4 degrees promised later, so maybe more of the snow will melt at last - it's really messy in the road.

Dibnlib- Meant to say, loved that video of the swan rescue. I saw one recently of four men joining arms to rescue a dog trapped in a river, which was quite difficult, but they didn't give up.

The pictures of my decorations are just a tiny proportion of my stuff. It takes two days to put everything up, plus another day to put up and decorate our tree. Then approx two days to put it all away. Most pictures have holly springs etc around them, and there are various things hung up. I just love Christmas, as you can tell!

Annette, the picture of the thistles is an antique tile which was my mother's, which I have hanging all year in the kitchen. I draped it this year with a handmade glass mistletoe and a brass mistletoe, both bought at craft fairs.

Tiny stuffed reindeer beside my bed!

Scandinavian figure in front porch. 

Bowl of pot pourri.